In-lines for the iPhone

A good set of earphones can isolate you while you rock out

How we tested To recreate “outside noise” we recorded the sound of a passing train. While playing music at moderate volume, we turned up this background noise until it intruded, and noted the volume percentage. To test microphone quality, we phoned a friend and asked him to jot down a series of messages, each containing four salient points – think TOEFL listening comprehension.

Ultimate buds UB7EB Ultimate Buds take an iPhone cable and carefully graft on better quality earpieces to create a hands-free headset with superior sound. The UB7EB is a mash-up of Apple tech and Future Sonics’ FS1 headphones. The buds are good for blocking outside noise, and though Etymotic’s hf2 has the edge on stereo separation and clarity, music is still crisp. Ensure they fit well or you’ll lose bass.HOT: Great music reproduction.NOT: Careful fitting required.PRICE: Rs 5,995 3/5

Etymotic Research hf2Headset We couldn’t get the hf2 buds to be as comfortable as Apple’s, and they didn’t block out as much noise. Still, despite these shortcomings, music was clearer than with any other set in our test, thanks to soaring treble and clear stereo separation. There’s no in-line volume control, but the cable’s lozenge contains the best mike – our “receptionist” picked up every detail of our message.HOT: Exceptional sound quality.NOT: Outside world tends to intrude.PRICE: Rs 7,200 4/5

Bose Mobile On-Ear Headset This on-ear set doesn’t contain any noise-cancelling tech – instead, the cans’ soft foam squashes snugly around your ear. It’s old-school, but it still blocked out most of the outside racket in our test. The headphones have thundering bass, but the treble is a little muted. The mike is a big letdown: poor voice pick-up meant our call recipient got only half the details of the test message.HOT: Risk of commuting deafness.NOT: Remote misunderstandings.PRICE: Rs 10,5002/5

Sennheiser MM 60 iPhone The MM 60’s mike is almost 30cm away from your chin, but this doesn’t seem to affect call quality. You barely notice the featherweight headset, but its foam pads block the least outside noise. Overall, the sound quality was on par with the Bose headphones; the MM 60 matched it for rumble-y bass, but had a less distinct separation between the mid-range and high frequencies.HOT: Lightweight, foldable design.NOT: Need loud volume for isolation.PRICE: Rs 6,000 3/5

Apple Inear Remote/Mike Headphones Apple’s own in-ear headphones have simple, bulbous in-ear sleeves and an in-line volume controller. They’re comfortable and block out far more noise than the standard buds that come with your iPhone. There’s plenty of sub-bass and a powerful sound, but some muddy treble. Despite this, the music sounds lively and the earphones are fairly good value.HOT: Comfortable; good value.NOT: Sound is a little unbalanced.PRICE: Rs 4,2002/5